NASCAR announces changes for 2007

CONCORD, N.C. - NASCAR made another slight adjustment Tuesday, revamping the format of its annual All-Star event to add at least one more driver.

The Nextel All-Star Challenge will now be run in four 20-lap segments with an expanded field.

The announcement came one day after NASCAR tinkered with its title-deciding Chase for the championship system.

"The changes to the Chase, as well as the All-Star event, were a collaborative effort that we put forth to make it easier for the fans to understand," said Steve O'Donnell, vice president of NASCAR's racing operations.

"We know that's going to take some time, as with any change takes some time. But we believe both decisions are headed in the right direction and will make the sport more exciting."

The All-Star event, held annually at Lowe's Motor Speedway, will now be a total of 80 laps with breaks between each segment. There will be an optional pit stop after the first segment, and a 10-minute break after the second segment in which teams will be allowed to work on their cars.

There will be a mandatory pit stop after the third segment, setting up one final 20-lap dash to the $1 million grand prize.

The All-Star race is only open to drivers who have won races in the current and preceding year, past All-Star race winners, Cup champions from the last 10 years and the winner of the Nextel Open, a qualifying event held before the main race.

Now, the field has been expanded to include both the first- and second-place finishers of the Nextel Open, as well as one driver voted in by the fans.

NASCAR also changed the procedure of its Pit Crew Challenge, which will now be seeded similarly to the way the NCAA tournament field is set. Crews will be seeded based on their 2006 season standings, and the top eight teams will have a bye in the first round.

As the competition advances, the final eight teams will be able to choose their opponent for the next round in order of seeding. The final results will be used to set the pit selection order for the All-Star race.

 Championship chase

Kasey Kahne won a series-high five races during NASCAR's regular season, yet barely qualified for the championship chase because of a points system that has long rewarded consistency over winning.

But under a series of adjustments announced Monday, the emphasis has been shifted to winning. In doing so, NASCAR might also have ensured that its biggest stars will almost always qualify for the Chase for the championship.

Beginning this season, the Chase will have 12 drivers - up from 10 - and the field will be seeded based on "regular-season" victories.

"We believe the Chase accomplished the original goal - it made racing more competitive, made every race ... mean more and created more excitement," NASCAR chairman Brian France said.

"The key issue for us today is the intersection between winning and consistency."

It starts in the 26-race "regular season," where wins now will be worth 185 points. That's up five points from years past, and assuming the winning driver also picks up other bonuses during the race, a victory can be worth as much as 25 points more than second place.

In addition, those wins will be worth a 10-point bonus that will be used to "seed" the drivers when the 10-race Chase begins.

During the Chase's first three years, the drivers' point totals were reset in five-point increments when the postseason began. Now, all drivers' totals will be reset to 5,000, and each will receive a 10-point bonus for each victory during the first 26 races.

In other words, Kahne would have received 50 points in bonuses and started last year's Chase in first place.